UK T2 ICT to UK T2 General

[Neotrivedi]

Hi There,
Need your expert advice in my scenario to get a T2- General Visa.
a] I have been in the UK on T2-ICT since Nov 2009 to Sept 2013 and then left the country.
b] Only to come back to UK in March 2015 on Completely New T2- ICT sponsored by a different company

Question:
1. Would I be eligible for a switch form T2 ICT to T2 General ?
2. Or even if I have to go back to India to apply for T2 General would there be a 12 month cooling off period applicable to me?

Shall wait to hear from the experts.

Thanks

[CR001]

1. Yes, you have to apply from home country.

2. Yes, 12 month cooling off period will likely apply.

[Neotrivedi]

HI There ,

Thank you so much for your response, would you mind elaborating 'Likely' about cooling off? Is there a way that the cooling off can be skipped? or any other VISA category in which my case could be allowed UK stay for then 5 years.

Hope to hear soon from you.

Thanks

[CR001]

You can only switch if you meet the Eligibility criteria in the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-general/switch-to-this-visa

From your brief post, it appears you do not, so the cooling off period will apply to you.

Other visas you might qualify for depends on your circumstances (your nationality in case you have Ancestry, British spouse or spouse on ILR or spouse on their own Tier 2 G, etc)